the world at your fingertips

 On July 1st 1997 Dr. Jan Hawkins wrote an article titled "The world at your fingertips." In it she detailed how the world will be impacted by the changes in technology, with great emphasis on the benefits this change will have on education. Two years later, Dr. Hawkins passed on, but like all the great minds before her, her ideas took root. It is this ideas that have given birth to an explosion of awareness and realization, prompting experiments across the globe. Case in point it took  Albert Einstein fifteen years to prove the general theory of relativity and five years to get the theory published in a recognized journal when he first proposed it.

In the current world a scientific paper, article or essay is posted online Timbuktu on Tuesday night and when the author wakes up they find four hundred unread emails, thirty missed calls from various journalists requesting an interview with an entire brigade of paparazzi outside their homes waiting to take the first picture. It's called going viral That may not happen exactly as stated but you get the drift; the world is wired small and tight! access to information is closer than the proverbial doorstep, it is in our ears, our palms OUR FINGERTIPS! We have material to learn more, to inquire, to improve, to inspire we may have well exhausted material on what we have.


Dr. Jan Hawkins saw a future that meant it would be easier to teach and to learn, a future that included faster and more efficient ways of solving tasks. She saw better time efficiency and increased personal as well as professional development. Hawkins was right, indeed technology has enriched as well as increased us, but(there is always a but sometimes even two) to what extent have we made use of the technological gains we have? It is about time we asked each other as we do ourselves, how well do we use the world at our fingertips?

#100Daysofblogging #Day15

I intend to introduce another argument on knowledge and how its influx may not be as rosy as Hawkins highlighted, but that is another post for another day.  

The birth of this post was the possibility of avenues to read and satisfy our curiosity, expand our understanding scope or for whatever reason you read. It was this condensed list of free online course

and life keeps laughing at me [IV]

This is a story contributed by talented writers and still in its infancy as more writers continue to make it a Novella. Enjoy my little input. Find the other parts here:

Part I

Part II

Part III

  ....

Angel or demon? Which exactly I’m I to them? And what are they to me? Njeru lay facing up. He turned his head left and right, getting a clear picture of those that stood beside him. He wanted to speak, blurt even, yet the words formed like knot in the throat and tightened as he opened his mouth.

He felt sorry; he had been feeling sorry for the longest time, what with the divorce, reuniting and the uncertainty of rebuilding his career.

“I am sorry,”

“Just rest, we will have enough time to talk,” said Sarah

She gave his arm a reassuring squeeze, then wiped tears from his cheek with her palm.

“It will be alright, I am happy you are alive”

This was comforting and his lips tiredly curved into a smile. He felt hoarse and parched; he couldn’t clearly recall his last meal. He tried to remember, playing his memories like a vhs tape in the head. Then it hit him, like a lightning bolt on a rainy day. He shot up in bed and motioned for Mutiso to come closer. The plain ran through him and he clenched at his teeth keeping it at bay.

“What day is it?” He asked

“It is Wednesday Baba Junior,” replied a visibly surprised “Kwa nini?”

 He shifted his gaze to Mutiso and asked

“Dexter! Have you seen my Dexter?”

“I picked him from the seat, I figured it must have been why you came to see me.”

“Angel! Confirmed, you are an angel.’

“What?” Asked Mutiso

“Never mind, I have a few instructions for you regarding Dexter”

He spoke for about a minute uninterrupted giving a brief synopsis of the problem at hand. He also explained to Mutiso that he had until the close of business hours to have the required photos for the competition. It was now fifteen past midday; giving Mots about four hours to perform a miracle. It was not going to be an easy task, and it had been made harder by the fact that Dexter also took a beating in the crash. Mutiso had been tactful enough to avoid making mention of this as he wanted to maintain the feel-good mood of his friend. He shook his hand and wished him luck then turned to leave.

Njeru pulled him back and said

“No, you go with that luck I have all the luck I need with me here.” He pointed at his wife who had been silent and smiled.

May the story continue........

In spite of it all

I learned that some paths cross, some paths run parallel and others merge into roads. Dotted patches of where we jumped on the grass and the place we lay, flattened blades and squished pollen. We must have fertilized the grasses as we left to run across the plains. On the bright sunny day, as I chased you through the caves. Heart beating at what-if-you-really-got-lost, and beating even faster when found you I held you in my arms. Laughing loudly for long until we ran out of breadth and we stood silently close to each other. Listening to the echoes of our laughter and trying to synchronize our breathing.  In that moment of pure bliss and ecstasy with the background of the roaring sea, the breeze and the cooing of sea gulls. It was a shallow drop, from the grass to the sand to the sea, taken quickly and with glee. We were young and loud and brave and the old couple held on closer to each other as we passed them chasing each other into the salt expanse. I caught them looking back and he brushed her hair off her face and smiled. I was thinking of how I would want that when you slapped me with water on my back……